Members of the Board of Trustees of the Dartmouth chapter of Beta Theta Pi fraternity stressed their desire to gain student input about a new Greek organization at an informal information session sponsored by the alumni group on Sunday evening. The event, billed as a dialogue between students and the alumni group, saw moderate audience participation despite the volume of recent interest surrounding the group's potential return.
Discussion focused largely on the role of alcohol in the new organization. Under Beta national guidelines, any new chapter of the fraternity must participate in a "Men of Principle" program and sign a pledge that the chapter's physical plant will be alcohol-free.
"There's still debate within the board about whether or not alcohol or banning alcohol has impact on the fraternity," Victor Paul '86, a Dartmouth Beta trustee, said during the meeting.
Several trustees questioned whether Beta's national standard would force members of the fraternity to break the national guidelines surrounding alcohol and they asked the audience whether the student body would be receptive to an alcohol-free organization.
The alumni group told students that it would continue to discuss the issue with Beta national and would contest the group's status as a "new chapter" given its history at Dartmouth. At this time, the Dartmouth alumni group has not received recognition from Beta national.
Paul added that Dartmouth students should determine the character of the future organization.
"Our biggest fight as a Board of Trustees is fighting for your right to make your own decisions," Paul said. "We want to know what kind of organization you want."
Some of the event's most pointed questions came from the handful of female students in attendance. These students challenged the trustees to clearly articulate their plans for recruitment and consider alternatives to organizing as a fraternity.
A question from Elise Braunschweig '08 prompted the alumni group to discuss creating a coeducational group or a linked fraternity and sorority. Several trustees said the group remains dedicated to reuniting with Beta national.
One female audience member asked Deb Carney, director of Coed, Fraternity and Sorority administration at the College about the possibility of bringing more local Greek organizations to the College. Carney deferred to Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman, who reaffirmed the College's commitment to national organizations, though he added that the policy is subject to change.
Throughout the event, the trustees emphasized Beta's long history at Dartmouth, noting the fraternity's respected status and tradition of leadership on campus.
Beta trustee Jack Burnett '71 spoke about the fraternity's 1889 transition from Sigma Delta Pi fraternity to Beta and its subsequent temporary withdrawal from Beta after the national organization hesitated to eliminate exclusions on membership based on characteristics such as race.
Burnett also described the formation of the alumni corporation and its purchase of its Webster Ave. residence, now occupied by Alpha Xi Delta sorority.
"To us, what has happened in the past is what we really dwell on and what we try to carry forward into the future," Burnett said.
Seeking to refute Beta's image as the "football fraternity," several board members pointed to the organization's past diversity of membership. Scott Sipple '84, the board's co-chair, said the organization may have had a "plurality" of members from a certain sports team at times, but that these members never formed the "majority" of the house.
The group also highlighted elements of Beta national's mission and the College's six principles of Greek life as objectives for the organization and vowed to leave the group in sound financial standing.
"Beta was always an organization based on leadership. That's a legacy that we want to try to continue," Paul said. "To the extent that we have any interest in defining the organization, it would be to push it and its members to try and be leaders."
The board reported on upcoming construction on the residence at Webster Ave., including the building of a fire escape, which is scheduled to take place this summer. The house will be used during the group's Fall recruitment events, and, depending on the date of the construction's completion, the group will consider allowing AZD to use the residence, Sipple said.
Extended dialogue between attending students -- the vast majority of whom were male -- and members of the Dartmouth Beta group took place after the event.
At least seven of the event's attendees identified themselves as members of the Class of 2011.
"I was interested in hearing what it's all about," Alex Johns '11, a member of the Dartmouth football team, said. "I'm learning as much as I can about everywhere."
Student Body President Travis Green '08 was also in attendance, but declined to comment on the event.
The group will hold a similar information gathering session on Thursday and plans to hold more structured meetings Spring term.
